Focused Energy to establish laser fusion ‘blueprint’ at German power plant

Focused Energy, the laser fusion startup company looking to deliver commercial power from a system imitating the approach used in the breakthrough US National Ignition Facility (NIF) experiments, has raised $240 million in series A venture funding.

The firm, headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, says it will invest the new capital in a power plant in Biblis, Hesse, that was previously operated by German energy giant RWE.

RWE is also one of the investors in the oversubscribed venture round, alongside Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND), the European Innovation Council Fund, previous lead investor Prime Movers Lab, and potential future buyers of fusion energy.

“With RWE, Focused Energy gains both a strategic investor and an industrial partner that enables use of the Biblis site, located near Frankfurt am Main, for laser fusion and contributes regulatory expertise,” announced the startup.

“This positions Focused Energy optimally to advance the industrialization of fusion technology in Germany and Europe at high speed and to accelerate the path to commercial use.”

Optoelectronics key

The company added that the Biblis site could serve as a blueprint for the industrial scaling of fusion technology, while also representing a clear commitment to Germany and Hesse as a business location.

Technical University Darmstadt professor Markus Roth, an expert in laser-plasma interactions who co-founded Focused Energy with CEO Thomas Forner and serves as the firm’s chief scientific officer, said:

“Speed is what counts now on the road to the first fusion power plant in Germany. We are showing courage and driving the transfer of research results into industrial application. Fusion is a European endeavor.

“But Germany can and should be the industrial anchor. In laser fusion, Germany is exceptionally well positioned, as our optoelectronics industry is world-class. Those who scale now can set the global technological, regulatory, and economic standards.”

RWE’s CEO Markus Krebber added: “Thanks to its excellent research ecosystem and innovative start-ups such as Focused Energy - one of the leading companies in the field of laser fusion - Germany is well-positioned to take a leading global role in nuclear fusion.

“That is why we are prepared to further expand our investment in Focused Energy. It sends an important message that the German federal and state governments are working together to advance development with the goal of building a commercial fusion reactor in Germany.

“RWE fully supports this goal: with our sites that we are currently decommissioning, their existing nuclear infrastructure, and our long-standing expertise in dealing with regulatory approvals, we are creating ideal conditions to secure internationally competitive advantages for Germany, both in terms of time and costs.”

European shift

Among Focused Energy’s key recruits is chief strategy officer Debbie Callahan, co-leader of the NIF ignition campaign and an expert in hohlraum design - the target that implodes to generate fusion energy under intense laser radiation.

Like NIF, Focused Energy is planning to use deuterium-tritium fuel in its targets. And while NIF relied on powerful but outdated laser technologies commissioned decades before fusion with ignition was achieved, Focused Energy is collaborating with French firm Amplitude to provide state-of-the-art sources for a beamline at its development facility planned for the San Francisco area.

The new injection of capital and support from the European Investment Bank (EIB) shifts the long-term focus to Europe, with EIB vice president Nicola Beer commenting:

“The fact that a deep-tech company like Focused Energy is relocating its technological and industrial focus back to Europe is not just a location decision, but also a powerful signal.

“Europe and Germany are demonstrating that in the global competition for future technologies, they are not merely reacting but are actively reclaiming industrial competence, technological know-how, and innovative strength.

“That is precisely where Europe’s opportunity lies: strengthening technological sovereignty, securing industrial value creation, and redefining Europe’s role as a leading deep-tech hub.” 

CEO Forner added: “Fusion energy is entering a new era in Germany and Europe. It is now about how we can effectively translate our scientific excellence and industrial strength in fusion technology - prioritized by the German High-Tech Agenda - into industrial value creation.

“We thank our partners and investors for their trust. The successful financing round confirms our scientifically grounded laser fusion approach, which has taken Focused Energy from a startup to the world’s leading laser fusion company in just four years. With the new capital, we can further expand our lead in laser fusion in Hesse.”